...and the Reds go marching on

Easy. Oh so easy. United barely broke sweat after the opening 20 minutes, having established a 4-0 lead through Saha, Rooney, Ronaldo and an own goal by Ian Pearce. Rooney slotted home another in the second half just for good measure, and the Red Devils coasted to victory in a newly-expanded Old Trafford. Paul Scholes was the stand-out performer in central midfield, overshadowing even the excellent Rooney and Ronaldo. He seemed to be completely at home as a deep-lying playmaker, and hopefully he will maintain his excellent form through the rest of the season. The prospect of seeing Scholes line up alongside Carrick and/or Hargreaves is an exciting one for United fans, and if Hargreaves does eventually move to Manchester, the central midfield problem should be resolved for at least two seasons. The whole squad worked well as a unit, creating chances almost at a whim.

Evra finally seems to be settling into the team now - he was adventurous getting forward and seems to have added a bit of bulk to his slight frame, which will help him no end in dealing with the physical nature of the English game. O'Shea continued his good form in the central midfield position, but Fulham are hardly the most challenging of opponents in that area, especially when one considers the Steed Malbranque situation. Giggs seemed to relish switching wings constantly with Ronaldo, and was a constant menace to the Fulham defence. Ronaldo, Rooney and Saha were excellent - full of energy and willing to chase everything, they will give nightmares to any defence they face this season.

So it's on to the midweek game against Charlton. United will be without the services of Rooney and Scholes, two of the best players on the park today, and with Carrick out until September 9, they will have to revert to the central midfield pairing of Ryan Giggs and John O'Shea. Charlton have hardly made the most auspicious of starts, losing 3-1 to West Ham at Upton Park, but they will be a different proposition at home, and have traditionally been strong starters. It will be an early test of United's bench strength, and one that they must pass if they are to be considered serious challengers for the Premiership crown.